SEATTLE — The National Football League's (NFL) lengthy offseason is mercifully over.
The season kicks off Thursday evening, followed by a jam-packed Sunday full to the brim with football.
For Seattle Seahawks fans itching to see their team back on the field, Sunday afternoon's matchup against the Denver Broncos presents a golden opportunity to build some early momentum in the coach Mike Macdonald era.
Game info
- Matchup: Seahawks (0-0) vs. Broncos (0-0)
- Time: Sunday, 1:05 p.m.
- Location: Lumen Field, Seattle
- Key Seahawks: Geno Smith (QB), Kenneth Walker III (RB), Tariq Woolen (CB)
- Key Broncos: Bo Nix (QB), Javonte Williams (RB), Courtland Sutton (WR)
Macdonald era officially begins
We've spent all offseason analyzing Macdonald's coaching history and projecting how the Seahawks will look under his leadership. Finally, after months of theorizing and speculation, we'll get to see what the Seahawks look like on the field in a meaningful game.
Macdonald has spearheaded some of the NFL's best defenses over the past several years, cementing his status as one of the emerging defensive minds in the sport.
Defense will be Macdonald's primary focus, sure, but the Seahawks are also bringing in a fresh offensive mind in Ryan Grubb to jumpstart its lukewarm offense. As it stands, we don't know how the Seahawks will look on either side of the ball.
Regardless of how the next few months unfold, Seahawks fans will have the pleasure (or displeasure if the results don't follow) of seeing how the franchise approaches the post-Pete Carroll era.
Nix' debut
After the Broncos selected Bo Nix with the No. 12 pick in this year's NFL Draft, Sean Payton was rather effusive about his excitement.
In fact, ESPN's Adam Schefter said in a post on X after the draft that Payton "feels as strongly about Bo Nix as he did Mahomes."
Comparing a rookie quarterback selected sixth in his draft class to perhaps the greatest quarterback to ever live is quite a hill to die on, but Payton will spend the entire season trying to convince the rest of the league it's a hill worth climbing.
Game prediction
Seahawks 24, Broncos 13.
Seahawks country, let's ride.